Trey McBride Bio
Trey McBride is an American professional football tight end for the Arizona Cardinals of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Colorado State Rams, where he was named a unanimous All-American and the John Mackey Award winner in 2021. McBride was selected by the Cardinals in the second round of the 2022 NFL draft.
Standing 6 feet 4 inches tall and weighing around 246 pounds, McBride has developed into one of the most productive pass-catching tight ends in the league. He has earned multiple Pro Bowl selections and set franchise and league records for tight end production.
Early Life and Background
Trey McBride was born on November 22, 1999, in Greeley, Colorado. He grew up in Fort Morgan, Colorado, the son of Kate and Jen McBride. He is the first NFL player whose parents are a same-sex couple. He has two older brothers, a twin brother, and a younger sister, giving him a busy and athletic household that helped shape his competitive drive.
McBride attended Fort Morgan High School, where he was a multi-sport athlete in football, basketball, and baseball. As a junior, he recorded 32 catches for 751 yards and 11 touchdowns and was named Class 3A All-Colorado. As a senior, he repeated as an All-Colorado selection while contributing on both sides of the ball and as a rusher and receiver. He also holds school records for points scored in basketball and career home runs and runs batted in in baseball.
Path to American Football
Considered a three-star recruit by 247Sports, McBride accepted a scholarship offer from Colorado State over programs including Colorado, California, Kansas State, Navy, Northern Colorado, and Wyoming. He committed to playing tight end for the Rams and focused on building his frame and route-running skills.
As a freshman in 2018, McBride played in all 12 games and started five, finishing with seven catches for 89 yards and a touchdown while earning Academic All-Mountain West honors. His production grew each season, and by his senior year he was regarded as the top tight end prospect in college football.
Trey McBride Career
College Career (2018–2021)
McBride became a focal point of the Colorado State offense from his sophomore year onward. In 2019, he was named first-team All-Mountain West after posting 45 receptions for 560 yards and four touchdowns and recording his first 100-yard game against Boise State. The following year, he served as a team captain during the COVID-19-shortened 2020 season and earned second-team All-Mountain West recognition.
His senior season in 2021 was historic. McBride caught 90 passes for 1,121 yards, set Colorado State tight end records for receptions and receiving yards in both a single season and a career, and was named the Mountain West Male Athlete of the Year. He won the John Mackey Award as the nation’s best tight end and became the first unanimous All-American in Colorado State football history.
NFL Debut and Arizona Cardinals (2022–Present)
McBride was selected by the Arizona Cardinals in the second round, 55th overall, of the 2022 NFL draft. He debuted in Week 2 and appeared in 16 games with 13 starts as a rookie, finishing with 29 receptions for 265 yards and one touchdown. His first NFL touchdown came in a Week 17 loss to the Atlanta Falcons.
In 2023, McBride produced 81 receptions for 825 yards and three touchdowns. During a Week 10 win over Atlanta, he became the first Cardinals tight end since Rob Awalt in 1989 to reach 100 receiving yards in a game, signaling his emergence as a primary receiving option.
Pro Bowl Breakthrough (2024)
McBride’s 2024 season established him as a top tight end. He posted 111 receptions for 1,146 yards and two touchdowns and earned his first Pro Bowl selection. Standout performances included a career-high 133 yards on 12 catches against Seattle in Week 12 and a 123-yard, two-touchdown effort against the Rams in Week 17. That game included a record-setting catch that made him the NFL record holder for most receptions before a player’s first receiving touchdown of a season.
He was ranked 65th by his peers on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2025, reflecting respect across the league for his consistent production and reliability in the Cardinals offense.
Record-Setting 2025 Season
On April 3, 2025, McBride signed a four-year, $76 million contract extension with $43 million guaranteed, making him the highest-paid tight end in NFL history at the time of the signing. He continued to produce at a record pace, surpassing Travis Kelce for the most consecutive games with at least five catches by a tight end and becoming the first tight end to record back-to-back 100-catch seasons.
In a Week 16 game against the Cincinnati Bengals, McBride set the single-season receptions record for tight ends. He closed the year with 126 catches for 1,239 yards and 11 touchdowns and was named First-Team All-Pro, earning his second Pro Bowl nod.
Driving Style and Strengths
McBride is known for his reliable hands, route precision, and ability to line up across the formation as a true receiving tight end. His combination of size and athleticism allows him to win against linebackers and safeties, while his football IQ helps him find soft spots in zone coverage and convert in critical third-down situations.
Notable Events and Milestones
Key milestones include his record-breaking senior season at Colorado State, his first 100-yard NFL game in 2023, his first Pro Bowl in 2024, and his 2025 contract that briefly made him the highest-paid tight end in league history. He also set the NFL single-season receptions record for tight ends during the 2025 campaign.
Trey McBride Career Wins
McBride’s career has been defined by consistent production rather than championship hardware. He earned unanimous All-American honors and the John Mackey Award in college, then translated that success into back-to-back Pro Bowl selections and First-Team All-Pro recognition in the NFL.
NFL Highlights
Through the 2025 season, McBride has accumulated 347 receptions for 3,475 yards and 17 receiving touchdowns across his first four NFL seasons. He set the single-season receptions record for tight ends with 126 catches in 2025 and joined an elite group of tight ends with consecutive 100-catch seasons.
Other Performances
McBride earned Mountain West Male Athlete of the Year and was a multi-time All-Mountain West selection in college, including first-team honors in 2019 and 2021 and second-team honors in 2020.
Trey McBride Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
McBride’s parents are Kate and Jen McBride, making him the first NFL player whose parents are a same-sex couple. He grew up alongside two older brothers, a twin brother, and a younger sister, and his brother Toby played football at Colorado State as a defensive end, giving the family a clear athletic pedigree.
Personal Life
McBride is not publicly known to be married and keeps most of his personal life private. He continues to make his offseason home in the Fort Morgan and Greeley, Colorado region that shaped his early athletic development.
2025 Season Performance
McBride’s 2025 campaign will be remembered as one of the greatest tight end seasons in NFL history. After signing a record-setting extension in April, he delivered 126 receptions for 1,239 yards and 11 touchdowns while leading the Cardinals passing attack alongside quarterback Kyler Murray.
His streak of consecutive games with five or more catches established a new benchmark for tight ends, and his Week 16 performance set the single-season receptions record for the position. He earned First-Team All-Pro honors and his second Pro Bowl selection in recognition of his dominance.
Looking ahead, McBride enters 2026 as the centerpiece of the Arizona offense and the standard-bearer at the tight end position. With his contract running through 2029 and his production still trending upward, he is positioned to remain among the league’s elite playmakers for years to come.
